RBT QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Autism - Answer-general term used to describe a variety of complex developmental
disorders with persistent deficits in:
- social communication
- social interaction
- engagement in repetitive or stereotypical movements, phrases, or manipulation of
objects
5 Diagnostic Criteria for ASD - Answer-- persistent deficits socially
- repetitive behaviors
- symptoms present early
- symptoms cause significant impairment
- these disturbances are NOT better explained by intellectual disabilities
Autism Screening Tools - Answer-- ADI-R -CARS
- ADOS -GARS
(if there is a question on the test that asks what assessments RBT's assist these are
NOT one of the correct answers)
- these are tools to screen for autism most likely before a client has even begun ABA
services
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - Answer-a stimulus that is delivered to provoke an
individual to engage in a particular behavior
- an immediate antecedent that occurs right before the behavior
Pre-Attending Skills - Answer-refers to those actions that allow an individual to orient to
the correct stimulus
ex: looking in the direction of the stimulus, listening to instructions, and sitting quietly
Overcorrection - Answer-- an aversive consequence for a highly disruptive problem
behavior that needs decreasing
- evidence-based and effective when other interventions have not worked
- the behavior must result in major destruction and not be occurring at high frequency
(you can't be utilizing this intervention 10 times a day)
- ex: as a consequence for problem behavior the client will be required to fix all damage
done to the environment
Two types of overcorrection - Answer-1. restitutional overcorrection- the client must
return the environment to its previous state
2. positive practice- after the problem behavior the client must repeatedly practice the
correct response
Classical Conditioning - Answer-AKA Pavlovian Conditioning
- First described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist
,- Focuses on involuntary, automatic behaviors
- Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex
- The process involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a
bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (the taste of food).
Pavlov's work and classical conditioning showed that: - Answer-- reflexive response to
stimuli could be trained
Operant Conditioning - Answer-- First described by B. F. Skinner, an American
psychologist
- Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior
- Focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors
- AKA instrumental conditioning: Through this process, an association is formed
between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior.
Verbal Operants - Answer-- from Skinner's book Verbal Behavior; Skinner described
verbal behavior according to the function of the behavior over the form (topography) of
the behavior.
- they are foundational in developing language and communication skills
- "in order to truly understand a word you must understand all of its functions"
What are the verbal operants? - Answer--there are 7 verbal operants: tact (label), mand
(request), intraverbal (conversation), listener responding (listener responds in the form
of an action), visual perception-match to sample (VP-MTS match object to the same
type), echoic (vocal imitation), motor imitation (listener copies the movement of another)
Motivating Operation (MO) - Answer-- alters the momentary possibility of a behavior and
value of a consequence from moment to moment
- MO's have both value altering and behavior altering effects
- value altering: impacts the value of a consequence increasing/decreasing its
effectiveness as a reinforcer
- behavior altering: increases/decreases the momentary frequency or likelihood of a
behavior occurring
MO: Value Altering Effects - Answer-There are two different kinds of value altering
effects.
1. Establishing Operations (EO) increase the value of a consequence
2. Abolishing Operations (AO) decrease the value of a consequence
What are the 7 dimensions/defining characteristics of ABA? - Answer-Acronym= GET A
CAB
1. Generality 5. Conceptual Systems
2. Effective 6. Analytic
3. Technological 7. Behavioral
4. Applied
, 1. Generality - Answer-applied interventions are designed from the outset to operate in
new environments and continue after formal treatments have ended
2. Effective - Answer-applied interventions produce strong, socially important effetcs
3. Technological - Answer-applied interventions are described well enough that they can
be implemented by anyone with training and resources
4. Applied - Answer-applied interventions deal with problems of demonstrated social
importance
5. Conceptual Systems - Answer-applied interventions arise from a specific and
identifiable theoretical base rather than being a set of packages or tricks
6. Analytic - Answer-applied interventions require an objective demonstration that the
procedures caused the effect
7. Behavioral - Answer-applied interventions deal with measurable behavior (or reports
if they can be validated)
Conditioned vs. Unconditioned Reinforcers - Answer-- Conditioned reinforcers or
secondary reinforcers gain their reinforcing properties through pairing with other
unconditioned reinforcers
ex: money (conditioned) used to purchase food (unconditioned)
- Unconditioned reinforcers or primary reinforcers are things that satisfy a biological
need such as food, water, and sleep. These are not learned, rather our bodies are hard-
wired to react to their importance
Reinforcement vs. Punishment - Answer-reinforcement increases behavior, punishment
decreases behavior
positive and negative - Answer-positive- adding a stimulus to the environment
negative- refers to removing a stimulus from the environment
--> It can be useful to think of positive and negative as the first names and
reinforcement and punishment as the last names. When analyzing a scenario first think
of whether a stimulus is being added or removed- which gives you your first name.
Next, identify if the behavior is increasing or decreasing, which will give you the last
name (reinforcement or punishment).
What is a permanent product/permanent product recording? - Answer-the term for a
physical record left behind following a behavior/recording an effect of a behavior, not the
behavior itself
- used an indirect measurement of the behavior
- useful when you must record a behavior after it has occurred, when you can't "catch it"
- drawback: may lead to inaccurate measurement
Autism - Answer-general term used to describe a variety of complex developmental
disorders with persistent deficits in:
- social communication
- social interaction
- engagement in repetitive or stereotypical movements, phrases, or manipulation of
objects
5 Diagnostic Criteria for ASD - Answer-- persistent deficits socially
- repetitive behaviors
- symptoms present early
- symptoms cause significant impairment
- these disturbances are NOT better explained by intellectual disabilities
Autism Screening Tools - Answer-- ADI-R -CARS
- ADOS -GARS
(if there is a question on the test that asks what assessments RBT's assist these are
NOT one of the correct answers)
- these are tools to screen for autism most likely before a client has even begun ABA
services
Discriminative Stimulus (SD) - Answer-a stimulus that is delivered to provoke an
individual to engage in a particular behavior
- an immediate antecedent that occurs right before the behavior
Pre-Attending Skills - Answer-refers to those actions that allow an individual to orient to
the correct stimulus
ex: looking in the direction of the stimulus, listening to instructions, and sitting quietly
Overcorrection - Answer-- an aversive consequence for a highly disruptive problem
behavior that needs decreasing
- evidence-based and effective when other interventions have not worked
- the behavior must result in major destruction and not be occurring at high frequency
(you can't be utilizing this intervention 10 times a day)
- ex: as a consequence for problem behavior the client will be required to fix all damage
done to the environment
Two types of overcorrection - Answer-1. restitutional overcorrection- the client must
return the environment to its previous state
2. positive practice- after the problem behavior the client must repeatedly practice the
correct response
Classical Conditioning - Answer-AKA Pavlovian Conditioning
- First described by Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist
,- Focuses on involuntary, automatic behaviors
- Involves placing a neutral signal before a reflex
- The process involves pairing a previously neutral stimulus (such as the sound of a
bell) with an unconditioned stimulus (the taste of food).
Pavlov's work and classical conditioning showed that: - Answer-- reflexive response to
stimuli could be trained
Operant Conditioning - Answer-- First described by B. F. Skinner, an American
psychologist
- Involves applying reinforcement or punishment after a behavior
- Focuses on strengthening or weakening voluntary behaviors
- AKA instrumental conditioning: Through this process, an association is formed
between the behavior and the consequences of that behavior.
Verbal Operants - Answer-- from Skinner's book Verbal Behavior; Skinner described
verbal behavior according to the function of the behavior over the form (topography) of
the behavior.
- they are foundational in developing language and communication skills
- "in order to truly understand a word you must understand all of its functions"
What are the verbal operants? - Answer--there are 7 verbal operants: tact (label), mand
(request), intraverbal (conversation), listener responding (listener responds in the form
of an action), visual perception-match to sample (VP-MTS match object to the same
type), echoic (vocal imitation), motor imitation (listener copies the movement of another)
Motivating Operation (MO) - Answer-- alters the momentary possibility of a behavior and
value of a consequence from moment to moment
- MO's have both value altering and behavior altering effects
- value altering: impacts the value of a consequence increasing/decreasing its
effectiveness as a reinforcer
- behavior altering: increases/decreases the momentary frequency or likelihood of a
behavior occurring
MO: Value Altering Effects - Answer-There are two different kinds of value altering
effects.
1. Establishing Operations (EO) increase the value of a consequence
2. Abolishing Operations (AO) decrease the value of a consequence
What are the 7 dimensions/defining characteristics of ABA? - Answer-Acronym= GET A
CAB
1. Generality 5. Conceptual Systems
2. Effective 6. Analytic
3. Technological 7. Behavioral
4. Applied
, 1. Generality - Answer-applied interventions are designed from the outset to operate in
new environments and continue after formal treatments have ended
2. Effective - Answer-applied interventions produce strong, socially important effetcs
3. Technological - Answer-applied interventions are described well enough that they can
be implemented by anyone with training and resources
4. Applied - Answer-applied interventions deal with problems of demonstrated social
importance
5. Conceptual Systems - Answer-applied interventions arise from a specific and
identifiable theoretical base rather than being a set of packages or tricks
6. Analytic - Answer-applied interventions require an objective demonstration that the
procedures caused the effect
7. Behavioral - Answer-applied interventions deal with measurable behavior (or reports
if they can be validated)
Conditioned vs. Unconditioned Reinforcers - Answer-- Conditioned reinforcers or
secondary reinforcers gain their reinforcing properties through pairing with other
unconditioned reinforcers
ex: money (conditioned) used to purchase food (unconditioned)
- Unconditioned reinforcers or primary reinforcers are things that satisfy a biological
need such as food, water, and sleep. These are not learned, rather our bodies are hard-
wired to react to their importance
Reinforcement vs. Punishment - Answer-reinforcement increases behavior, punishment
decreases behavior
positive and negative - Answer-positive- adding a stimulus to the environment
negative- refers to removing a stimulus from the environment
--> It can be useful to think of positive and negative as the first names and
reinforcement and punishment as the last names. When analyzing a scenario first think
of whether a stimulus is being added or removed- which gives you your first name.
Next, identify if the behavior is increasing or decreasing, which will give you the last
name (reinforcement or punishment).
What is a permanent product/permanent product recording? - Answer-the term for a
physical record left behind following a behavior/recording an effect of a behavior, not the
behavior itself
- used an indirect measurement of the behavior
- useful when you must record a behavior after it has occurred, when you can't "catch it"
- drawback: may lead to inaccurate measurement
